The campaigns of the first-tier contenders in the Edo governorship election have been largely ensconced in the agitprop of godfatherism. While Godwin Obaseki, incumbent governor of the state, claims he is wrestling against the forces of recidivism who have held Edo down and who want to keep lording it over the state as godfathers, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, his challenger, struggles to shake off the tag of being a flunkey of these ‘’patrons’’. According to Obaseki, his re-election will end godfatherism in Edo. In fact, the governor said his cardinal mission in the state is to end godfatherism. But what is the…
Author: meridianspy
The Zone D of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has declared its readiness to join civil society organisations in protest against the Federal Government recent removal of fuel subsidy and increase in electricity tariff. This was confirmed in a statement issued by Kowe Amos, NANS (Zone D) Coordinator. The Joint Action Front (JAF), among other groups, has resolved to begin a nationwide protest today Wednesday. “For a fact, Egypt as a country has very little crude oil yet boasts of nine functional refineries. Also, South Africa with no drop of crude oil has four functional refineries. Meanwhile, ours…
Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that Nigeria is now more divided than ever under his administration. This is, however, coming less than a week after former president Olusegun Obasanjo similarly remarked that Nigeria was drifting towards a failed state and blamed the President for mismanaging the nation’s diversity. In a statement on Tuesday, Soyinka, while clarifying that he was not a fan of the former president, said Obasanjo was, however, right in his assessment of the situation last week when he first raised the alarm of the country’s division under President Buhari. “I am notoriously…
Adams Oshiomhole, immediate past national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is among top Nigerians slammed with a visa ban by the United States Government on Monday, Sahara Reporters reports. Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, and Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, are also among those affected by the latest US sanction, it was gathered. Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna on the other hand had his own visa ban extended. He has been banned from entering the US since 2010 over a graft case. According to US officials, more Nigerian politicians may be included on the visa ban list after the Edo governorship…
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has pledged to support plans by the ministry of petroleum resources to provide an alternate energy source for Nigerians by opening compressed natural gas (CNG) refill stations across the country, The Cable reports. A statement by Kennie Obateru, group general manager of NNPC public affairs division, quotes Mele Kyari (pictured), the group managing director, as saying the company will work with other stakeholders to provide viable alternatives to petrol which would ultimately lead to a reduction in demand and price of the product. The CNG (methane stored at high pressure) can be used as…
At least 1,000 police officers from Lagos State have been deployed by the state Police Command to complement other security personnel in Edo State for Saturday’s governorship election in the state. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed this in a statement, said Hakeem Odumosu, the state’s Commissioner of Police, charged the officers to be of good conduct and exhibit professionalism in discharging their duties during the election. “He further reiterated the commitment of the IGP to sustain the core values of democracy in Nigeria via fair, free, and credible elections,” Adejobi added in the statement. “The CP said adequate incentives and welfare packages…
79 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Nigeria, taking the total to 56,256 in the country. This was disclosed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Sunday night via its verified Twitter handle. Out of the new cases, Lagos recorded the highest fresh cases with 30, followed by Kaduna with 17. Others are Ogun-7, Anambra-5, Kano-4, Katsina-3, FCT-3, Akwa Ibom-3, Oyo-2, Rivers-2, Delta-1, Plateau-1 and Ondo-1. Death toll increased by four to 1,082, while total discharged in the country rose to 44,152. A breakdown of the cases as reported by NCDC reads below:
The federal government has issued directives targeted at phasing out the sale and consumption of alcohol in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, The Cable reports. Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), disclosed this in a statement. Adeyeye said uncontrolled access and availability of high concentration alcohol in sachet and small volume PET or glass bottles contribute to substance and alcohol abuse in Nigeria. She added that NAFDAC and the ministry of health have engaged major shareholders and have reached certain agreements. She said the food agency will no longer register…
Health workers, under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), have resolved to embark on a nationwide strike. In a statement on Sunday, JOHESU directed its members to withdraw their services from midnight of Sunday, September 13, citing, among other issues, non-payment of hazard allowance and withheld salaries as reasons for their decision. The decision was unanimously reached at the end of an expanded National Executive Council meeting of leaders of various health unions, after achieving nothing at their interface with the Federal Government. “In the light of the above, the meeting of our expanded NEC was held Saturday…
Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has said state governments ignored its earlier warnings on impending flood disaster in the country. Clement Nze, NIHSA Director-General, stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily programme. Nze said the agency had earlier issued the warning of heavy downpour and consequent flooding expected in the country but the state governments did not prepare by taking proactive and preventive measures. “We cannot go to the states to pull down structures which the state governments had given permits to be built at wrong locations,” he said. “My agency sent out an alarm in April that…
Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said the labour union will soon declare its position on the recent increase in fuel price and electricity tariff by the Federal Government. Wabba made this known while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday, in reaction to the increases in the prices of such essential commodities. He said the organised labour would not protest until the Central Working Committee (CWC) met and agreed on appropriate action. “Labour takes one battle at a time; it does not make announcement without backing its action.” The labour…
Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a pan-northern socio-political group, has said its membership was not by force. Emmanuel Yawe, ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, stated this in an interview with The Punch in Abuja on Thursday. Yawe’s statements was in reaction to the decision by some leaders of the North-Central region who pulled out of the ACF to form its own group known as the North-Central Peoples Forum (NCPF). The leaders cited, among other concerns, issues of security threats in the region as reasons for the formation of the new forum. Yawe, according to The Punch, said the ACF was not worried about…